4 stroke machines line-up at Suzuka ahead of first face-off of the season

4 stroke machines line-up at Suzuka ahead of first face-off of the season

At Suzuka on Friday the day of reckoning arrived for the new breed of 4 stroke machines, who officially met on the track for the first time after an intense winter of testing. For many of the thousands of fans and press who flocked to the Japanese venue it was the first chance to get a glimpse of the revolutionary new motorcycles and a welcome opportunity to hear the roaring sound of the future of MotoGP. Before proceedings got underway on Saturday morning, the new 4 strokes were lined up for a photo opportunity for the world´s press.

The excitement in the grandstands on Friday has been mirrored in the paddock and on the track, where teams compared for the first time their definitive machine set-up for the technical Suzuka circuit. After the first qualifying session it was the 2 stroke Honda NSR500 of Loris Capirossi which topped the time sheets but plenty more is expected on Saturday from the likes of Valentino Rossi and Tohru Ukawa.